Discovering a new hotel room is always thrilling, but before you make yourself at home, remember to put your luggage in the bathtub.
Although this may sound strange, experts in the industry recommend that the tub is the safest spot for your belongings, minimizing the chance of bringing home more than just memories.
What’s the first thing you do when you arrive at a hotel room? Perhaps you test the mattress for comfort, check out the minibar, or examine the bathroom for the toiletries?
Most likely, before doing any of that, you placed your suitcase on the bed or luggage rack. Travel and hygiene specialists suggest that this common practice could be one of the biggest mistakes travelers make.
Instead of setting your suitcase on the bed or floor, consider using an unexpected location: the cold, hard, (and hopefully) clean surface of the bathtub, which is actually the safest place for your luggage.
So, why is the bathtub the safest option for your suitcase? The answer is straightforward: bedbugs.
Breeding grounds
Hotel rooms, regardless of their luxury or upkeep, can serve as breeding grounds for these tiny pests, which are always on the lookout for a free ride to a new home.
“Bedbugs are incredibly efficient hitchhikers. They can swiftly traverse a room and climb onto luggage or anything left on a bed or floor in just one night,” states pest control company, Orkin. “Hotels are perfect habitats for bedbugs due to the high turnover of guests. They are also prevalent in these environments because controlling bedbugs in hotels is challenging due to the number of rooms.”
Moreover, these creepy little creatures are skilled predators, hiding “close to the humans they feed on,” cautions Orkin.
Bedbug-free area
As these pests flourish in cozy, warm places such as mattresses, carpets, and upholstered furniture, putting your suitcase in these locations only aids in their survival.
The bathtub, in contrast, is a zone free of bedbugs. These pests find it difficult to scale smooth surfaces, and since hotel bathrooms are generally cleaned more thoroughly than bedrooms, your luggage is much less likely to encounter these annoying critters.
Entomologist Katelyn Kesheimer, PhD, shared with Reader’s Digest that she always puts her luggage in the bathroom while she inspects the room carefully for bedbugs.
“Once I confirm it’s clear, I take my luggage into the main area. However, I never place it on the bed, just to be safe,” Kesheimer mentioned. “A bathroom is the least probable location for bedbugs in a hotel room because of the limited time humans (the food source for bedbugs) spend there compared to the rest of the room.”
S.L.E.E.P.
When traveling, Orkin recommends using the acronym S.L.E.E.P. to prevent bringing bedbugs home with you.
Inspect the hotel room for any signs of a bedbug infestation. Look for dark, ink-like stains on bedding, as well as in the crevices of mattresses and box springs. Additionally, familiarize yourself with what bedbugs look like at all stages of their life cycle (eggs, newly hatched, and adults).
Check and look in potential bedbug hiding spots such as the mattress, box spring, bed skirt, and other furniture, as well as behind baseboards, pictures, and even damaged wallpaper.
Keep your luggage elevated away from the bed and wall. The safest spot is in the bathtub.
Inspect your luggage while repacking and again once you return home from your trip.
When you get home, place all dryer-safe clothing from your luggage in the dryer for at least 20 minutes on the highest setting.
Experts in Concealment
Once you’ve checked your hotel room and confirmed there are no indications of bed bugs, Orkin suggests taking additional measures to “ensure your items are safe from a possible infestation.”
Here are a few straightforward tips to safeguard your possessions.
Luggage: Keep your suitcase in the bathtub while you’re there to help stop bedbugs from getting into your things.
Clothing: To prevent those crafty little critters from sticking to your clothes, pack your clothing and shoes in resealable bags. Additionally, clothes are more prone to picking up bedbugs when transferred to closets or drawers, so it’s best to avoid unpacking and live out of your suitcase.
Personal items: Bedbugs are not only excellent hitchhikers but also experts at concealing themselves. They can often be found hiding in books, cloth toiletry kits, and other non-metal personal belongings. Make sure your items are securely packed throughout your journey.
No food? No problem
It may seem like a lot of effort, but keep in mind that bedbugs are incredibly resilient and can survive for a very long time. “They can go months to over a year without a blood meal, so if they are left in a suitcase or on clothing, they can definitely survive and infest later when food becomes available,” explains Kesheimer.
While it might feel a bit strange to place your suitcase in the bathtub, this action can significantly lower your chances of bringing home unwanted guests from your travels.
Therefore, the next time you check into a hotel, skip the bed, ignore the luggage rack, and let your suitcase rest in the tub.
What travel tips do you have to help others avoid bringing bedbugs along? We would love to hear your suggestions, so please share your thoughts and pass this story along to your friends!
